Optimal - The Blog
June 10, 2025
Allergic conditions like asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis, and food allergies have climbed sharply in recent decades, especially in wealthier nations. At the same time, chronic immune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease) and diet-related illnesses (including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers) have also become more common.
While early nutrition research focused on preventing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, it has since expanded to ask whether whole foods and eating patterns can help prevent or even treat these noncommunicable diseases. Yet in food allergy management, the standard approach remains simply avoiding trigger foods rather than using diet more actively to support immune health.
Our diets supply not only macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats) but also vital micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Both individual nutrients—like fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D—and the overall diversity of foods consumed can influence immune function.
The dramatic increase in ultra-processed foods, now providing 30–60% of daily calories in many countries, has been linked to obesity and chronic disease. This shift underscores the need to look beyond single nutrients and consider how the synergy of whole dietary patterns affects inflammation and immune regulation.
Source: Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber et al. “The immune-supportive diet in allergy management: A narrative review and proposal.” Allergy vol. 78,6 (2023): 1441-1458. doi:10.1111/all.15687. articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/all.15687
Diets high in sugar and unhealthy fats can promote inflammation through epigenetic changes, while other patterns—such as caloric moderation, the Mediterranean diet, and foods rich in omega-3s, fiber, zinc, and polyphenols (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol)—have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gut-supporting effects.
These combined nutrients often work together more powerfully than when consumed in isolation. The way foods are grown, processed, and prepared also shapes their immunological impact.
Although observational studies link greater dietary variety and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and lower intakes of sugars, red meat, and processed foods—with better outcomes in asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis, rigorous clinical trials are still needed. An “immune-supportive” diet fits within general dietary guidelines, is sustainable, and poses little risk, so it represents a promising—but under-studied—adjunct to existing allergy and immune-related therapies.
Reference
Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber et al. “The immune-supportive diet in allergy management: A narrative review and proposal.” Allergy vol. 78,6 (2023): 1441-1458. doi:10.1111/all.15687. articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/all.15687
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